These large plovers are found in much of western, southern, and eastern Australia, as well as Tasmania. They forage in very short grass for insects, worms, spiders, mollusks, and occasionally seeds, darting quickly after their prey. Breeding after rains, they build scrape nests on the ground, lining them with dry grasses and sometimes sheep droppings. Parents defend their nests aggressively, flying at humans that get too close and often using a broken-wing display to distract predators.